Platja de la Mar Bella

1 Review
Tags: Europe and Spain
Yes. Shower facilities and changing-rooms are also available for free.
Yes. Several bars with food located on the beach.
Yes. Free parking is available but extremely rare, paid parking can also be difficult to find during the busy summer months.
Nudity not required.

The Good

  • Lively and busy beach, it feels like you are part of a big party on the sand
  • Stunning crystal clear water
  • The beach has some of the best facilities anywhere - bathrooms, showers and changing rooms are all spotlessly clean
  • Easy to access from transit if you're visiting Barcelona
  • Very high nude to textile ratio means you definitely won't be alone if you strip off. Great for nude beach newbies

The Bad

  • Hot summer weekends can be horrifically busy here. We felt like we were lying ontop of people on the sand because it was so crowded (not fun)
  • The party vibe can takeover the beach from late afternoon onwards. It got a little too much for us - with very loud music and drunk beachgoers
  • Wind can be a bigger issue here compared to other beaches in Barcelona
  • Some visitors have reported theft and pickpocketing is a problem at the beach. We didn't notice this but did find friendly locals who offered to watch our valuables when we went for a swim

The Naked Truth

Platja de la Mar Bella is an inclusive beach with a heavy LGBTQ+ presence. If you're after a calm and laidback nude beach than you won't find it here, unless you visit early or on a weekday.
What you will find is one of Europe's mostly liveliest nude beaches with crystal clear water and friendly beachgoers. With a bar on the sand and spotless bathroom facilities on the beach, you don't have to go far to access all the essentials. Definitely worth the visit in Barcelona with easy access to train and bus services, the walk along the promenade is also stunning.
Just beware it can get really busy here. But rest assured if the nude beach is busy than the other beaches nearby will also be packed.. so you can't really escape it!

Insider Tip

Avoid the weekends. Try to visit on a weekday when the beach is way more relaxed and transport will be easier.

Who's Here

Lots of tourists with a large LGBTQ+ presence

Beach Surface

Coarse sand

Access Difficulty

Very easy
Booking.com
Booking.com

Photos

Our Visit

Matt & Megan
Nude Beach Map. Visited 2023

Platja de la Mar Bella is a lively nude beach option in Barcelona, and in fact it is the only nude beach in this city, which can make it extremely busy. Mar Bella is easily one of the most popular nude beaches in Spain. When we visited on a hot summers’ day it was absolutely packed, there was barely enough room to stretch out. It felt like we were walking on people trying to get to the ocean. Don’t get me wrong – it is nice to see nude beaches so popular. But it is hard to relax when you’re crowded in like sardines.

The party vibe normally picks up pace in the late afternoon. There is a large LGBTQ+ community and it is definitely an inclusive, accepting and safe environment to be in. Despite the booze flowing freely we never saw any aggressive or overly obnoxious behavior on the beach – almost exactly the opposite. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. Admittedly, we never came here in the morning when the vibe is much more chill and you’re likely to snag a prime spot on the beach. The coarse sand is sometimes difficult to walk on, especially if you’re walking on the concrete. So flip flops or shoes are a must. Generally the beach is clean and we didn’t see much trash or pollution which is pleasing for a city beach.

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The best thing about Mar Bella beach is the easy access and the amount of amenities on offer. How often do you get spotlessly clean bathroom and shower facilities on a nude beach? Add to that easy access on public transport plus a restaurant / bar with decent prices.. amazing! Bar BeGay is right on the sand and has a decent selection of drinks and food. Even on a busy day the bar seemed to power through the drink and cocktails at a speedy pace. They offer plastic ‘to go’ cups, so you can take your favourite beverage down to the sand. Beers and mojitos seemed to be the popular options. The only catch is that you need to pay a deposit of 5 euros, which you get back when you return the cup at the end of the day. There was some confusion when we thought the cup was a souvenir, only to be told by a friendly local that wasn’t the case.. but I guess you could take it if you didn’t mind parting with the cash!

Platja de la Mar Bella can be easily accessed by car, public transit, bike, or a leisurely stroll along the promenade (more information on getting there is provided in the section below). Strolling along the promenade is a great way to explore Barcelona and you’ll appreciate the cool ocean water once you get there. The massive expansive beaches further along like Platja del Bogatell or Platja de la Nova Icària make the nude section feel a lot smaller than it is. Just don’t make the mistake we almost made and confuse Mar Bella Beach with Platja de la Nova Mar Bella – these are two completely different beaches and one of them is absolutely a non-nude beach. It doesn’t help that the non-nude beach with almost the same name is right next to Platja de la Mar Bella.

Overall, Platja de la Mar Bella is a great beach to visit in Barcelona and fits right in with the young, party vibe atmosphere that is prevalent in the city. Despite the fact we’re in our 30’s we felt ‘old’ being on the beach. Not to say we were out of place or felt unwelcome – because that absolutely wasn’t the case. Just that a lot of nude beaches in Spain lean a little older or are more family orientated. Platja de la Mar Bella is one of a kind and a highly recommended nude beach in Europe. We’ll definitely be back, probably to compare the vibe in the mid morning with late afternoon..

Questions? Comments? Add your thoughts or photos below!

Map

Getting There

Car parking is available from paid parking meters on the street behind the beach or a nearby parking garage. Beware it can be extremely busy during the summer months and parking spots close to beach are a rarity. If you must drive here, there are more options available nearby but you might end up walking several km to reach the beach after parking.

A much easier way to reach Mar Bella Beach is to catch the Line 4 (yellow) metro train to Llacuna metro station - from there the beach is an easy 1km (15min) walk on flat ground. If you happen to have a bicycle or scooter you'll fit in with the locals who ride along the picturesque bike lane to reach Mar Bella. Unfortunately the public bicycle rental system in Barcelona is not available to tourists.

Nearby Attractions + Events

Chiringuito Begay -

El Kabron Beach Club -

Socials

User Comments

1 Reviews on “Platja de la Mar Bella”

Overall rating
  • Trey

    Local here. When using the L4 metro, it’s better to get off at Poblenou station than Llacuna station and then walk straight down Carrer de Bilbao to the Mediterranean. Much closer and easy to follow. I would definitely pick a week day to visit if visiting in the summer.

    Reply

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